


All your life you'll dream of this

by forabeatofadrum (maanorchidee)



Category: Cinderella (Fairy Tale)
Genre: F/F, Fairy Tale Retellings, dedicated to a friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-19 01:23:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9411248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maanorchidee/pseuds/forabeatofadrum
Summary: Ella has been dreaming about meeting the prince and falling in love for weeks. When she has the chance to go to his Royal Ball, she's excited. Yet, the prince isn't everything she hoped for.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics is from the R&H's song A Lovely Night. Despite the fact that I used the names from the R&H version, they’re not comparable to the R&H characters. I just used their names without writing a R&H fic. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

Ella wakes up, feeling uneasy. She dreamed about the prince again.

She keeps dreaming about the prince. Prince Topher is very well-known, but no one has actually seen him. He likes to be in his castle. According to her stepsisters, Charlotte and Gabrielle, that doesn’t matter. As long as he’s rich, he’s amazing.

Ella’s stepmother, Madame, agrees and she’s anxiously waiting for an opportunity to intoduce her daughters to the prince.

Ella knows she won’t meet the prince. Ever since her father died, Madam has changed. Ella is being used as a maid. She is only allowed to dress in rags, she cleans all day, she takes care of her stepfamily, and she’s not allowed to leave the property.

And it’s really wearing Ella down. Her brown skin is covered in filth and her curly hair is messy. She’s tired most of the time, and the scare food she eats doesn’t satisfy her needs at all. She often dreams about a better life. She doesn’t need to be rich. She only wants to be happy.

Maybe the prince will bring her that happiness, but the chances of meeting him are non-existent.

So when Madam tells her daughters about the Royal Ball, Ella knows she won’t be able to go.

She cries herself to sleep, and wakes up the next day, having dreamed of the handsome prince.

* * *

Since Ella isn’t allowed to leave the property, she doesn’t have many friends. The mice are nice to her, but the only person she talks to is the old crazy woman from down the road: Crazy Marie.

Ella and Crazy Marie sit outside, watching Madam, Charlotte, and Gabrielle leave for the ball.

“Oh Crazy Marie, I must confess something,” Ella sighs, “But you’d think I’m foolish.”

“I am the crazy woman of the kingdom, Ella,” Crazy Marie reminds her.

“Crazy Marie, do you think it’s possible to fall in love with an idea of a person?” Ella asks. She already feels her face heating up. It’s embarrasing, but Ella needs to talk about her feelings towards the prince.

“Ella, I am crazy, but I am not dumb,” Crazy Marie says, “I know you are in love with the prince.”

“I’m sorry, Crazy Marie, but after everything I’ve heard from my stepsisters, I can’t help but think he’s the most amazing man in the kingdom,” Ella tells her friend, “He’s handsome, he’s smart, he’s graceful… He sounds perfect.”

Crazy Marie nods. “Exactly!”

“So you don’t think it’s foolish?”

“Not at all, child,” Crazy Marie says, “And don’t ever apologize for being in love. I don’t think it’s foolish to fall in love with an idea of a person. If I listen to you, the prince sure does sound like an amazing man.”

“He is.”

“But there’s only one condition, Ella,” Crazy Marie suddenly sounds serious. Ella didn’t know her friend was capable of being serious. “You can fall in love with an idea of a person, but after you meet that person, fall in love with the person themselves. Fall in love with reality, not with fantasy, Ella. You could hurt yourself, but also the person you claim to love. What if the prince isn’t perfect after all? You will break your heart!”

“But what can I do? Meet him?” Ella laughs at the thought of meeting prince Topher.

Then, out of nowhere, Crazy Marie hands her an invitation to the Royal Ball.

“Crazy Marie, did you steal an invitation?” Ella asks, outraged. She appreciates her friend’s attempt on helping her, but that is stupid.

But Crazy Marie turns around, and suddenly she transforms into someone… magical.

“No, Ella, I did not steal it,” she says and her voice sounds lighter.

Ella realises what’s going on. “You’re… You’re my fairy godmother?”

Crazy Marie- no, the Fairy Godmother nods. “Yes, Ella, and I am here to grant your wish.” She waves her wand, and before Ella knows it, she’s surrounded by men who used to be mice. The pumpkin has changed into a golden carriage. 

“Look down, child.”

And Ella does. She’s surprised to see she’s wearing a beautiful gown and two glass slippers. She runs towards the water and sees her reflection in the mirror. Not only does she look beautiful, but she looks healthy.

“Go, Ella!” her Fairy Godmother hands her the invitation, “Meet your prince! Meet your reality!”

And Ella thinks she will.

“But remember this, child, the magic cannot last,” the Fairy Godmother says, “When the clock’s at midnight, the magic will vanish and you must be back here. Understood?” 

Ella nods happily.

“Then go. Fall in love with the person!”

* * *

No one recognises her when Ella enters the ballroom. The other guests have never met her, and her stepfamily isn’t used to seeing Ella look good.

That doesn’t mean all eyes aren’t on her.

But Ella is only looking for one pair of eyes: the eyes of the prince.

After walking around, ignoring the men trying to talk to her, she finds him. To her dismay, she sees he’s dancing with Gabrielle.

But to her surprise, her heart doesn’t break.

She walks around some more and she waits for the prince to notice her. When he does, they talk. 

“I have never seen you before,” prince Topher seems mesmerized by her appearance, “And I don’t think I’d ever forget a woman as beautiful as you.”

“I can say the same about you,” Ella curtsies.

The two talk, and prince Topher really is as amazing as the stepsisters told Ella. He’s kind, he’s funny, and he’s incredibly handsome.

Yet, Ella can’t say she’s in love with the person. She realises that despite prince Topher being like her fantasy, she was only in love with the idea of the person, not the person himself.

The Fairy Godmother was right, and she can feel her heart breaking.

“I’m sorry, but I must go,” she turns around. Prince Topher is caught off guard.

“Why?” he gets hold of her arm.

“I think I made a mistake,” Ella tells him and she breaks free out of his grip. Sensing Ella’s dismay, prince Topher nods and doesn’t chase after her when she runs out of the ballroom.

Outside, she’s crying on the stairs.

The prince really is a dream come true, but she realises it’s not her dream. The realisation is soul-crushing. She feels betrayed by her own feelings.

She sees it’s only ten pm, so she has plenty of time to go back to the cottage. But then she hears a voice.

“Are you okay, miss?”

Ella turns around and she’s greeted by a familiar pair of eyes: prince Topher’s eyes.

Only it isn’t prince Topher speaking.

A woman, wearing a beautiful dress and a crown, is staring at her. “I hope I’m not imposing, but I went outside to clear my head and I heard you crying. I thought it was best to check on you.” She blushes a little bit.

But Ella doesn’t speak back.

Instead, she’s staring at the woman with wide eyes.

The woman is beautiful. Ella feels like she got struck by lightning and she can’t stop looking at her.

She realises that she’s suddenly feeling a lot better.

“Miss?” the woman looks uncomfortable.

That shakes Ella out of her trance. “Oh god, I’m sorry!” she apologizes, “And I am feeling a lot better now, thank you for asking.”

The woman smiles. “What’s your name?”

“Ella,” Ella sits down on the stairs and she’s delighted when the woman joins her, “And you?”

The woman seems confused.

“You don’t know who I am?”

“Should I know?” Ella asks, equally confused.

The woman laughs and holds out her hand. Ella takes it. “My name is Lissa, short for Clarissa, and I am prince Topher’s twin sister.”

Ella never knew prince Topher had a sister. 

And she wishes she has known about princess Lissa all along.

“And I know that this might be a little bit forward, but do you want to dance with me?”

Ella looks back to the castle. The thought of going back to the ball makes her feel very uncomfortable.

“We don’t have to go back there,” princess Lissa says, knowing what’s going on, “It’s quite an ordeal, uh? Our parents are too busy with my brother’s marriage that the ball is quite dreadfull.”

“But why aren’t you getting married?” Ella asks, and she wants to slap herself for asking. Why would she ask such thing?

“Because strangely enough, my brother’s position is more important, since he’s the man and he will inherit the kingdom,” princess Lissa shrugs it off, but it clearly bothers it, “Then again, I am happy the attention isn’t on me the entire time. It must be quite stiffling. I feel bad for Toph. How about that dance?”

Ella nods happily and princess Lissa takes her hand and helps her up. Together, they dance in front of the castle. During the dance, they talk a lot and Ella is happy to find out princess Lissa is as kind and amazing as her brother.

When it’s almost midnight, Ella realises she has found the person loves.

The person, not the idea.

So when the clock hits twelve, Ella doesn’t want to go. “Wait, where are you going?” princess Lissa asks, surprised. She tries to hold on to Ella.

“I am sorry, I must go.”

“But I don’t understand. We were dancing so peacefully!”

Ella wants to explain, but she doesn’t know how. Whereas she hasn’t lied to princess Lissa while telling her about herself, she hasn’t told princess Lissa she doesn’t belong with the rich people.

“I can’t stay,” Ella says frantically, “I am sorry, but I am not who you think I am, and I can’t show you who I really am, because it’d be awful.”

“Someone as beautiful can’t be awful,” princess Lissa says desperately.

But that’s where princess Lissa is wrong. Ella isn’t beautiful when she’s not dressed like this.

“Please, princess…”

“Lissa, just Lissa,” princess Lissa- or Lissa- says. She’s still holding Ella’s hand. Ella is trying to get away. “Please stay. Ella, I can’t explain why, but I need you to stay.”

“Lissa…”

“Because I think I might’ve just fallen in love with you.” That makes Ella stop struggeling.

“If you really want to go, I will let you, but please let me get to know you. Let me see the real you,” Lissa pleads, “I want to see the real you.”

And just like that, it’s midnight. Lissa is still holding Ella’s hand when she transforms back. Ella closes her eyes, knowing it will all be different when she opens them again.

She hears Lissa gasp.

But then, after a while, Ella feels Lissa’s hand squeezing hers. “I told you you’re beautiful.”

Ella opens her eyes and she isn’t surprised she’s dressed in rags. What surprises her is that Lissa is staring at her with heart-eyes, even though Ella looks like this.

“I really must go,” Ella says. She has to be home before her stepfamily. The thought of going home is awful. Ella doesn’t want to go back to being a servant and to being unhappy, but she has to.

Right?

“Stay.” 

“… What?”

“Stay,” Lissa repeats, “I can see that you’re not happy wherever you have to go. I can see it pains you and it kills you. You don’t have to go back there. You might think you have to, but please listen to me when I tell you you don’t have to go back to an awful place, and no one’s forcing you. And if they try, I will stop them.”

Ella wants to protest, but she has nothing to say. Lissa is right. Who says she has to go back to being treated like dirt? Madam and her stepsisters? They won’t know where Ella is.

What would happen if Ella runs away, preferrably with Lissa?

Happiness fills Ella when she thinks about running away with Lissa. Lissa has told her during their dance that she isn’t all to happy being overshadowed by Topher, so what would happen if the two of them leave to start anew?

Judging by the look on Lissa’s face, she’s thinking the same thing.

“Okay.”

It’s simple like that.

Lissa’s entire face lights up and together, they sneak into the castle. They pass the ballroom and Ella is surprised to see Gabrielle and Topher dancing again.

Ella grins and turns to Lissa. To her surprise, Lissa leans in for a kiss. It’s the true love kiss Ella has dreamed about, only it’s with the princess, not the prince.

Gabrielle can have him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you.


End file.
